For Stay-At-Home Moms Who Forget Their Needs Count, Too!
The pandemic of 2020 has changed the landscape of parenting so much that the number of stay-at-home moms has exploded!
On top of having the most demanding job in the world… stay-at-home moms now have extra challenges in raising a busy family.
How do you best educate your kids, work a job from your home computer, and keep up with laundry, meals, and housekeeping?
It’s mind boggling how it all gets done every day!
BUT…THERE IS ONE THING THAT GETS LOST IN THE SHUFFLE OF EVERYDAY LIFE AS A BUSY MOM, AND IT WILL HURT YOU BIG TIME IF IT GOES TOO LONG WITHOUT ATTENTION.
And that is…
Valuing your own needs and wants just as much as everyone else’s.
Mind blowing, right?
Do your needs and wants even make a blip on the radar at the moment?
Probably not so much.
They should… and they need to… and they can!
STAY-AT-HOME MOMS NEED TO CARVE OUT TIME TO WORK ON THEIR OWN ATTAINABLE GOALS.
So how do you do that when the days are filled with taking care of everyone else’s needs and wants?
First, by valuing yourself like you do your kids and your mate.
Second, by valuing your time enough to make a few changes.
Third, by valuing your goals enough to invest in them.
Here are a few starting places to set some attainable goals to invest in yourself:
QUESTION: WHAT DO YOU DO EACH DAY WHILE THE KIDS ARE BUSY WITH SCHOOLWORK?
Between housekeeping, running errands, meal prep, cleaning, and supervising the kids schooling, you may think there isn’t time for anything else.
But there is!
When the kids are reading, you can read, too, or work on your computer, write in your journal, or plan your next step toward one of your goals.
Resist the urge to catch up on social media and invest in yourself instead!
Even if you start with 15 minutes each day… you’re on to inching your way to finishing that book, taking that course, writing that book, or starting your blog.
Those are all attainable goals done in 15-minute slices of time!
PROTECTING LITTLE SNIPPETS OF TIME TO INVEST IN YOUR GOALS SHOWS YOUR FAMILY THAT YOU VALUE YOUR NEEDS AND WANTS, TOO.
And do you know what will happen?
THEY WILL START TO VALUE YOUR NEEDS AND WANTS, TOO.
Tip: Remember, it’s up to you to model how you want to be treated, by how you treat yourself.
DO YOU HAVE A HARD TIME STARTING THE JOURNEY TO ONE OF YOUR GOALS?
Most goals are easy to plot out using a bullseye target.
First, draw a circle in the middle of a blank page.
Second, write your goal in the middle of the target.
Third, write the steps to get you to the goal… in the circles around the bullseye.
NOW YOU HAVE EASY ATTAINABLE GOALS TO GET YOU TO YOUR TARGET GOAL!
Is your goal to de-clutter your house?
Start with your purse. That’s attainable!
Need some motivation?
If follow-through is your weakest link, set up a reward system for yourself, just like you do for your kids and their chores.
Each de-cluttered drawer, closet, cupboard, and room merits a small reward of some kind.
Try cleaning your stuff, while the kids clean their stuff. Even if you set the time for just 10 minutes.
You could even pay yourself for getting the “job” done, and then treat yourself to your favorite meal out, put a few dollars in your vacation envelope, or buy that purse you’ve been eyeballing for weeks.
Those are easy and attainable goals that you can do, if you set your mind to it!
ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT STARTING A SIDE HUSTLE?
Consider the opportunities that stay-at-home moms have to work with.
What do you already know how to make, create, or produce, that could earn a little income?
Do you bake? You could start a little “cottage industry” bakery, and sell cookies, cakes, candies, and brownies from your home.
You could sell them at your local farmer’s market, to friends, to family members, and to their referrals.
If you set up a drive-by stand, your pop-up shop is a great way to earn quick cash for selling baked goods right from your driveway!
Promote it on your Facebook site as a flash sale!
If you have a social media presence, you could offer your baked goods there. Pictures sell everything, so take lots of pictures each time you make something.
That’s an attainable goal!
THINK ABOUT OFFERING YOUR NATURAL TALENTS AND SKILLS AS A CONSULTANT.
Do friends and family notice your amazing interior decorating style?
You might have fun helping others redecorate their home and earn a consultant fee doing it.
Not everyone has an eye for color, spacing, layout, or style, and need your help to update their living spaces.
Create a Facebook page showing before and after pics to help sell your consulting services.
To get started, call a friend or two, and ask if you can use their home for marketing examples.
Even if you just paint a wall, add a pop of color with new pillows, rearrange their wall art, and reposition their furniture, you’ve got it nailed!
That’s a fun and easy and attainable goal!
WOULD YOU LIKE TO FINISH YOUR DEGREE, OR EARN A CERTIFICATE?
Online colleges are super easy to access, usually less expensive than traditional universities, and streamlined for quicker success.
Have you thought about taking one class a semester, and then deciding if you want to transition into having a career down the road?
Community colleges and trade schools are great options for moms who know exactly what kind of certificate they want to earn.
Data-processing is something you could do from home.
Maybe you would like to start selling real estate and wrap your work schedule around you family’s schedule?
You can take classes online and then take your state test exam.
Interview a few real estate companies and choose the one that fits your goals the best.
You might look for an independent “Boutique” broker to work for, as most of those agents are stay at home moms and work from home.
Baby-step your way to your educational or career goal and see how attainable it is!
BUSY STAY-AT-HOME MOMS THAT LIKE TO CRAFT, CAN DO IT WITH THEIR KIDS.
If you craft, sew, paint, or garden, the fall is a great time of year to get a project going.
Research what plants and flowers grow best in your zone and add a few new ones to boost curb appeal for your home.
Get the kids involved and see if they can earn school credit for it.
Do you like to write?
Then by all means, give yourself an hour a day to turn blank pages into your stories, self-help blogs, outlines, and books.
Are you a natural dog-whisperer?
Loads of pets need training, or should I say, pet owners need training, and you could be the perfect person to do it.
Helping pet parents gain much needed tips and tools, is just like equipping moms and dads with parenting skills.
Head out to dog parks and hand out your card.
Create a quick beginner’s guide to training dogs and sell it as an e-book.
Join pet sites on social media and share your tips to establish your expertise.
Visit vet clinics and join a neighborhood information website to get connected locally.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD A LITTLE EXERCISE TO YOUR SELF-CARE PRACTICES?
Gyms have been closed more than open during the pandemic and so it’s up to you to create your own work out, or work-in routine.
A great place to start is with a walking routine.
It’s so much fun to walk with a friend, so look for a person who you know will be committed to a regular walking day with you.
Walking with your mate creates an instant date together.
Your kids can be good walking buddies, too, and a good way to model healthy self-care practice for all of you.
Follow a yoga, or cycling, or dance class online.
All of these goals are easy and attainable… when you value yourself enough!
WHEN DO YOU THINK THE TIME IS RIGHT TO INVEST IN ONE OF YOUR PASSION PURSUITS?
It’s right now!
With just one little attainable goal at a time.
What are the items on your bucket list?
Tip: If you don’t have one yet, make a quick list with just 2 goals.
Which goal would you like to start with?
Even if it takes years to get there, you’ll never regret investing the baby steps in pursuing something you’re dreaming of.
Would you like to start your own business, write songs, become a photographer, teach online, travel, or design your own clothes?
Even if you have to start over a million times, it will be worth the blood, sweat, and tears, that you’ll invest to reach your goals.
THERE ARE PLENTY OF EASY AND ATTAINABLE GOALS FOR STAY-AT-HOME MOMS WHO FORGET THEIR NEEDS COUNT, TOO!
IT’S TIME TO START INVESTING IN YOU… AND NOW IS AS GOOD A TIME AS EVER!
So, which attainable goal will you work on first?
I’d love to hear what you choose to do with the little slice of stay-at-home mom time you have… so please do share!
Happy goal pursing to all of us stay-at-home moms! xoxo
